Avenging Kiss (Savage Security Book 2)

by Karen Tjebben

  Knowing what she had to do, she sat up and got out of bed. Her limbs moved slowly, as if she were wading through water instead of air. Each movement seemed difficult, like her body knew what she was doing and was trying to stop her. But she forged ahead, pulling on her panties and leggings, and finally reinserting the Geisha sticks into her hair. She snuck into the hallway and tiptoed into the kitchen to get her bra and shirt. She’d never been a quitter. She had to see this through.

  Once fully dressed, she walked into the family room to get her purse. It lay on the coffee table. She unzipped it and let her fingers grip the handle of the Glock. She looked over her shoulder for any sign of Logan, but he didn’t appear. Instead, Mojo trotted out the office door and headed her way.

  30

  9:05 PM

  Logan looked over at Mojo when the dog’s head popped up. The bone still lay trapped under his big paws, but something had Mojo’s attention. He clicked on the next video as Mojo abandoned the comfort of his pillow for something more interesting in the other room.

  The video started, and this one grasped Logan’s full attention. Several women filled the screen. The Black Widow’s relation could be one of the women. It was obvious that the video had been shot with some magnification because he could make out some details of their faces. He leaned forward in his chair and studied the women as they walked through the camp. The resolution wasn’t ideal, but it was good enough. The video remained constant on the women, focusing on each one for several seconds at a time.

  He scraped a hand over his stubble and narrowed his eyes as the face of one of the women came into view. Clicking pause, the video froze. The woman faced the camera in the shot. Her eyes taunted Logan, the mole high on her cheek crushed his heart. He’d found her, the woman who linked the Black Widow to the training camp. This was the woman whose death the Black Widow was avenging.

  His heart hammered. His mouth went dry. He’d stared into those beautiful eyes only moments ago. He started to reach for the top drawer of the desk to get his gun, but a gentle voice sounded a warning.

  “Don’t,” Aditya said. “Leave the gun where it is.” She hoped he heard the sorrow in her voice. She hadn’t wanted it to come to this. He’d done a great job wooing her. He’d altered her desires. She wanted to let him live.

  He held his hands up when he noticed her Glock aimed at him. “No need to panic,” he said calmly. Since she hadn’t killed him earlier in bed, or just stormed into his office and shot him, he hoped he could talk his way out of this. “Nothing’s happened yet that we can’t fix.” He casually shrugged his shoulders. He needed to talk her down. Get her to lower the gun. “This doesn’t have to get bloody.”

  She laughed, a low sound that was filled with mockery. “We both know that isn’t true. I may be a liar, but I’m not stupid. You have evidence that links me to the murders. You have Riya’s DNA… my DNA. It’s all over for me.”

  His feelings were as jumbled as Jenga blocks after they’d crashed to the floor. She’d hunted him down like prey, and he never saw it coming. That’s what she’d done to Shaw. He’d seen the way she’d desecrated Shaw’s body. How could he have misjudged her so badly? He’d trusted her. He’d given her his heart, and then she repaid him with the cold barrel of a gun.

  “You’re not going to shoot me,” he said. He did his best to lace his words with confidence. The gun wasn’t part of her MO.

  She tilted her head to the side and studied him. He was right. She’d never killed a mark with a gun. She’d always thought that drew too much attention and lacked finesse. Plus, since the men she killed always traveled with an entourage, guns just weren’t practical. She was frequently patted down and searched before her time with the target. She’d needed to rely on stealth. She couldn’t risk being caught. And now that she stared at Logan, she didn’t want to kill him.

  He slowly rested his hands on the top of his desk. “I’m sorry about Riya.”

  She shook her head and narrowed her eyes. “Don’t say that. Don’t you dare say her name.” Aditya fought back the tears. She’d shed oceans of tears for Riya. She was done crying. “If you had to do it again, you’d do the same damn thing,” she bit out.

  He hated to admit it, but she was right. “We had to take them out before they moved or carried out an attack.” He’d always seen the deaths that he’d helped facilitate as something good. He didn’t consider the deaths as something to regret, but rather, he focused on the lives he saved by killing the monsters who destroyed innocence and freedom.

  She took a step closer but kept the gun trained on him. “I was there. If you’d waited one more night, I could have saved her. She would have left with me.” Aditya didn’t know if that last part was true. Would Riya have left? Would she have listened to reason and leave Hazeem and his lust for blood behind? If not, Aditya would have taken her by force.

  Too many emotions flooded Logan. Anger, sadness, disappointment, and frustration beat through him with each slamming of his heart. If Riya was in that camp because of her own desires, then she truly wasn’t innocent. She’d chosen to take up with terrorists, and because of that decision, she’d suffered the same fate as them.

  “It was the hair sticks, right?” Logan pointed to the Geisha sticks that secured her hair. “That’s what you used to kill Shaw? The other men?” He felt sick as he realized how close he’d been to them. “Can I see them?”

  She shook her head and cringed at the disgust in his voice. For the first time in a long time she felt shame. The contempt in his eyes as he called her out for her actions weighed heavy on her. Disappointment in herself washed over her. She now regretted stepping into his office. She should have just left through the front door after she’d dressed. She wasn’t sure now why she’d come in here. Was it to stop him from reporting her so she could get through security at the airport and fly her way to safety? Did she really want to kill him?

  “Can I assume there’s a sturdy awl-like blade inside the stick?” Anger was beginning to surface in his tone. “Why didn’t you kill me? You had the chance. They were right there on the bed while we made love.” Even as the words left his mouth he felt revulsion. He’d been tender with her. He’d wanted to give her pleasure, but she hadn’t made love to him. She’d rode him into a fury to distract him so that she could puncture his skull with her specialized sticks. He wasn’t sure if he was angrier at her or at himself.

  She swallowed hard. She hadn’t killed him because she didn’t want to. After spending time with Logan, getting to know him as a person rather than the killer of her sister, she realized that he wasn’t bad. He was like her, trying to right the wrongs of this world. Riya had made her choices. She died because of her choices, and Aditya couldn’t deny that any longer.

  “I’ve grown fond of you.” The sentence felt lame even as she said it.

  Fond of him. He snorted. What the hell did that mean? “So fond that you wore your kill sticks into my bed? What the hell do you do when you aren’t fond of a man?” He really shouldn’t be so antagonistic with a gun pointed at him, but dammit, he was pissed.

  Each look of detest and disgust he shot at her shredded her heart a little more. She’d been a fool. “I don’t know why I wore them. I didn’t come here to kill you. I came to say goodbye.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes in frustration. “It was stupid. I should have just left.” She’d cornered herself. She’d managed to take away all of her options when she pointed the gun at Logan.

  Would he be a fool to trust her words, her look of shame? “Turn yourself in.” Logan glanced up at the ceiling as he thought, hoping to figure out an exit strategy for her. “You may get leniency.”

  She laughed at that, but still held the gun steady. “Leniency, you can’t possibly be that naïve.”

  Logan wasn’t naïve. He knew it would be bad for her. She could possibly be shipped back to the Middle East to answer for her crimes. He couldn’t guarantee her a trial or imprisonment in the States.

  “I’m not going b
ack.” She gave a firm head shake. “You know what they’d do to me. They’d show a scrap of mercy by finally killing me in some inhumane way after torturing me for days.” She shook her head again. “No. I’m not turning myself in.”

  He knew she was right. Even after what she’d done, he couldn’t look at her and wish that on her. But he had to know why him. Why had she targeted him? “After studying us, did you decide I was the weak link? Is that why you came after me?”

  Her heart broke for him. “Oh, Logan,” she managed to say as she fought back tears. “You were never the weak link.”

  “Then why me?” He needed to know. He knew he lacked the field experience that the others had, but still he’d never seen himself as the weak link. Maybe he was. Maybe brawn did trump brain. He’d always thought that his brain made up for any of his shortcomings. He’d always considered himself to be an asset to the teams even though he wasn’t a well-trained killer.

  “Why not you?” she said with a subtle shrug of her shoulders. “You were the one that looked as I sat on the barstool. It was your lust that ensnared you.” But strangely, his lust started to feel a lot like love. Whether he realized it or not, she couldn’t kill him because she did care about him. She was out of moves.

  Her last move became obvious. “Sorry about the mess.”

  The deafening bang of the gun echoed around the little room as blood splattered the wall and puddled in the carpet.

  31

  8:45 PM

  Eric watched Bella disappear down the hallway as she headed towards the bathroom. He smiled as he took a final look at the flowers that decorated her desk. Sending those had been a brilliant move. They’d given him the opportunity to get into the office without triggering any security alarms. It sucked that the cameras were on, but at least no one was stationed at a screen somewhere watching every motion inside the office. He was betting that once Cole saw that the person responsible for triggering the cameras was Bella that he’d disregard the other alerts triggered by the cameras.

  Adjusting the strap of his messenger bag on his shoulder, he made his way into the conference room. He hated that there was a camera in that room too, but he had to hope that they wouldn’t bother looking over the footage to discover the bombs. As long as he got out of there free and clear tonight, he’d be golden. With the bug, he could always detonate it if they accidentally discovered the bomb’s presence before their daily meeting. The first explosion would trigger the other bombs. He’d already gone over the floorplans of the office and had decided the best locations to place the bombs. Even if some of the men survived, his vengeance would be felt as the offices above crumbled to the ground.

  The long table took up most of the room. Comfortable chairs were pushed in around the table. He didn’t bother shutting the door. When she returned, he’d take care of her and then get back to work. This couldn’t be rushed.

  Eric carefully pulled the first cylinder from his bag. Constructing the bombs had been easy. With his engineering background, and all the training he’d received in Afghanistan, it hadn’t been difficult. He’d been responsible for constructing many bombs of all types during his time at the training camp. He felt pride whenever he heard his friends refer to him as ‘The Bartender’. He could mix up all kinds of bombs with countless ingredients, but PETN was his favorite, and bombs detonated by a timer or cell phone were his specialty.

  For this job though, he wanted maximum damage. He’d constructed a small but powerful bomb that would be detonated by a cell phone. The bug was essential too. That way he could decide the precise moment of detonation. He’d wait until the men assembled in the morning for their meeting and then make the call. He planned on watching their demise from the parking lot.

  Setting the cylindrical metal tube on the table, he stripped out of his coat and set it on the back of a chair. Dropping to his knees, he examined the underside of the table. It was smooth and would easily accept the duct tape. He straightened up and reached inside the bag to retrieve the duct tape.

  Ripping off a long strip of the tape, he stuck it to the edge of the table. Then he ripped off several more strips and stuck them to the side too. The excess hung from the edge of the table like streamers. He carefully took the cylinder in his hand and held it against the underside of the table. With one hand he kept it in place while he grabbed a long strip of tape with the other hand. He pressed one side of the tape against the table and then carefully secured it around the bomb and made sure the tape stuck well on the other side too. Then he repeated the process to ensure the bomb would remain in place, safely secured and hidden under the table. Then, making his last minute adjustments and setting the switch, the bomb was ready.

  Reaching into the bag again, he searched for the tiny bug he would use to listen in on them in order to get maximum destruction. The tiny bug was voice activated and would alert him when the meeting started. He wasn’t concerned if he didn’t kill them all. There would be plenty injured. It was unfortunate that people in the offices above and around Savage Security would suffer, but that’s what happened in war. People died.

  32

  8:50 PM

  Bella washed her hands and grabbed a paper towel. She dried her hands and tossed it into the trash can. The alcohol had made her mouth taste funky and dehydrated her. Turning on the water, she cupped her hands under the gentle flow and filled her palms. Leaning forward over the sink, she brought her hands to her mouth and sucked up the water.

  She straightened and looked in the mirror, beads of water hung from her nose and chin. She grabbed another paper towel and patted herself dry, tossing the paper towel into the trash. Heaving a sigh, she reached into her purse and found her compact. She patted the little puff on the pressed powder and then slid it over her cheeks, nose, and chin. The powder covered her shine and greatly improved her looks. Picking up her purse, she walked out of the bathroom.

  Making her way down the hallway, she noticed that the conference room lights were on and the door was open. She made her way to the doorway and was surprised by what she saw. Eric was on his hands and knees looking at something under the table.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice full of curiosity. “What’s wrong?” Had he discovered something? She made her way towards him.

  He looked over his shoulder at her as she slowly neared him. She was beautiful, which he was thankful for. At least he hadn’t had to get it on with an ugly office receptionist. He’d have done it, but spending time with Bella hadn’t been a hardship.

  “Oh,” he started. He rubbed his hands down his thighs as he stood. “I heard a clicking sound and let myself into the room.” He pointed under the table.

  Clicking sound? “Hmm, maybe I should call Cole,” she mumbled. She dug into her purse for her cell. Cole liked to know everything that went on in the office. He’d freaked on her once when she let a man from the internet service into the office to check something. She’d since learned that no outsiders were supposed to have access to anything in the office without one of the men there to supervise.

  Eric’s pulse quickened as she dug in her purse. He couldn’t let her make that call. He sprang towards her and ripped the phone from her hands. “No calls,” he barked.

  Her eyes widened as she stepped away from him. “Eric, what are you doing? Give me my phone,” she demanded. She held out her hand, expecting him to place the cell in her hand.

  He threw the phone against the wall. She startled as the phone fell to the floor. Her heart thundered like a horse’s as it powered towards the finish line when she suddenly realized the danger she was in. She took a step backwards. If she could make it to the panic button, the police would come, and more importantly, Cole would haul ass to help her. He lived only a few minutes away.

  Eric couldn’t let her out of the room. He wasn’t going to let the bitch ruin his plans. As she turned to run, he gripped her and shoved her against the wall. The yelp that came from her emboldened him.

  Pain shot out from her sh
oulder and head as she crashed into the wall. She lost her balance and fell to the floor. Scrambling to get up, her brain went into self-defense mode. All she could think about was getting away from Eric and hitting the panic button.

  She wasn’t going anywhere. Rage at her and the men she worked for overwhelmed him. She may not have been involved in the murder of Riya and his friends, but she was a friend of the killers who’d destroyed his life. She helped them on a daily basis. That made her guilty by association. She needed to die too.

  He gripped her torso and flipped her onto her back. Her head smacked against the floor and she saw stars. She blinked through the pain and did her best to focus on him. “Why are you doing this?” she panted. Her nails clawed at his skin as she tried to push him off, but he was too heavy.

  He leaned close to her face and snarled, “Payback’s a bitch.”

  His breath washed over her as revulsion filled her. “What?” She didn’t understand. She shook her head in confusion. “Payback for what?”

  “Your friends are killers. You know that, don’t you?” He gripped her shoulders and shook her as he straddled her. “They killed women and children,” he roared. “They’re nothing but cowards.”

  Fear flooded her as she realized that she’d be lucky to make it out of this situation alive. Her friends may have a kill count, but they weren’t monsters. And they certainly weren’t cowards. “Please let me go,” she begged as she fought to release herself from his grip. Her nails bit into his wrists as she tried to pry him off of her. She wasn’t ready to die. She was supposed to find true love, get married, and have kids. She didn’t want to die this way, paralyzed by fear.